


Betwixt

by Chicory



Series: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Chapter Coda, Gen, Other, Past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:13:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27389269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chicory/pseuds/Chicory
Summary: A coda to chapter thirteen: The Very Secret Diary.
Series: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1902802
Kudos: 5





	Betwixt

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe this is the longest Harry Potter coda I've written so far. This can be read as Hagrid/Riddle if you want. Don't ask me why, it just happened. Also, I probably slightly fucked up Hagrid's dialect but I don't think that could be helped.

Rubeus sneaked, as quiet as he could, into the depths of the dungeons. It was late evening, and the corridors were quiet and deserted save for the occasional echo of distant footsteps.

He reached a small, bare room with an aged single cupboard in the corner. Rubeus opened the door gingerly and murmured in a soothing voice, "It's me, don' yeh worry. I got you a bit o' summat."

Aragog, the giant spider he'd got from a traveller in Hog's Head, climbed out of the cupboard and eagerly reached out for the carrions of game Rubeus had brought him with his long, unwieldy front legs. Rubeus sat down to watch him eat, smiling as Aragog bit into the meat with his fangs. He was only a few months old but he was growing so handsomely.

Rubeus chatted about his day, telling Aragog tales about the lessons and the professors and the other students. The spider wasn't old enough to talk properly yet but he listened to him attentively. Rubeus petted him occasionally, running his hand over the wiry hair while Aragog clicked his pincers contentedly.

"Oh," a sudden voice said behind him. "You're the one who's been sneaking into the dungeons lately."

Rubeus jumped, his heart leaping into his throat and pounding madly. Aragog reared up on his hind legs, pincers clicking away with wild agitation. Rubeus whipped his head round and saw a black-haired, slim boy leaning against the doorframe. A thread of green lined his robes, a silver Prefect badge gleaming on his chest.

Rubeus went pale, his mind stuttering to come up with a reason why he was out of bed and why he was hiding an illegal Acromantula in the dungeons.

The boy stepped near silently into the room, the door falling shut behind him. "Is he an Acromantula?" he inquired, his dark eyes bright with curiosity. "They're quite rare in Britain, aren't they?" He stopped beside Rubeus and squatted down, and Rubeus' heartbeat slowed down to a trembling steadiness as he continued to stare at him dumbfoundedly.

"Yeah, they are," he said cautiously, his feelings wavering between confused and hopeful that he wasn't in trouble after all. He wasn't sure who the boy was, he wasn't that close to the Slytherins, everyone said they were trouble. But, Hagrid thought, maybe the boy liked unusual creatures, too.

The boy stared at Aragog who'd calmed down as well, even if he still stirred his legs warily. "Hm," he said, after a moment. He flicked a glance at Rubeus, from underneath a fall of dark hair. "Where'd you get him?"

"Got him from a traveller at Hog's Head," Rubeus answered, thoughtlessly. When the boy raised his eyebrows slightly, he puffed out his chest a bit. "I pass fer an older student. Haven't got anybody ask fer my age yet."

The boy made a noncommittal sound, a small peculiar smile crooking the corner of his mouth as he regarded Rubeus with his dark, opaque gaze. Rubeus fidgeted restlessly for a while before he braved to ask, "D'yeh like unusual creatures as well?"

"Sure," said the boy easily, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Most people find everything unusual and enormous scary but--" He reached out smoothly, unobtrusively, and stroked Aragog's side, his hand small and delicate unlike Rubeus'. "--I find them quite fascinating and beautiful. Don't you think?"

He glanced over at Rubeus again, and he brightened. "Yeah!" he agreed, and immediately launched into a content rant about the virtues of magical creatures. He winded down abruptly when he realised he'd been rambling on by himself.

It was just -- it was the first time Rubeus had met someone who wasn't wary of him and who shared his interest in magical creatures. Compared to the other kids in his year, he was too big and slow and rough so he wasn't really all that close to them. If Slytherins liked animals, they couldn't be all that bad, right?

Rubeus stole glances at the boy, almost compulsively. He was pale and strangely delicate for a boy, with dark hair and dark eyes and dark eyelashes. He was like the complete opposite of Rubeus.

He wavered for awhile before he ventured, "If yeh'd like, yeh can come ter see Aragog. I try teh to come 'ere every evening after dinner. Gotta feed him, yeh see." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'm--"

"Rubeus, right?" the boy interjected and Rubeus stared at him in surprise, his heartbeat going erratic in his chest. "Rubeus Hagrid."

The boy smiled, slow and crooked, and inexplicably Rubeus went hot all over, blushing up to his ears. "I'm Tom Riddle. It's nice to meet you."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, if anyone did :)


End file.
